UAE weather: temperatures below 10°C and rain this weekend

While it may not produce a white Christmas in a traditional sense, high humidity combined with cool temperatures is causing some fog to form in some areas of the country

Rain is expected across most of the country on Saturday afternoon. Courtesy Windy.com
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Temperatures below 10°C and a chance of rain are what await residents who have elected to spend Christmas week in the UAE.

Residents of north eastern areas in Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah can expect chilly conditions as temperatures drop to 9°C in the mountainous region of the country with highs of just 21°C forecast on Friday.

While it may not produce a white Christmas in a traditional sense, high humidity combined with cool temperatures overnight is causing some fog to form in some areas of the country in the early mornings.

On Friday, fog was reported in the south western area of Abu Dhabi emirate and also in Sweihan and Al Ain, prompting a red weather warning — advising residents to stop driving until the fog clears — near the border with Oman.

Elsewhere, fog reduced visibility to less than 1km but dissipated after the sun rose at 7am.

The threat of fog will be a concern to many who recall the grounding of flights last year, due to thick mist over airports, and are planning to travel for the Christmas holiday. Reports from the National Centre of Meteorology indicate no such fog this year.

In Abu Dhabi and Dubai, temperatures will range between 13°C and 26°C with humidity peaking at 85 per cent. Wind speeds will reach 38kph but a pleasant breeze is likely all that will be experienced this weekend.

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Rain could be on its way, however, with forecasters expecting a slight drizzle across most of the country on Saturday and Sunday.

But it will be a dry Christmas that could end up a little dusty due to winds picking up sand and blowing it over exposed areas such as highways.

The sea will be calm, turning choppy in the Arabian Gulf and "slight to moderate" in the Sea of Oman, forecasters said.